Home Energy Audit

You can easily conduct a home
energy audit yourself. With a simple but diligent walk-through, you can
spot many problems in any type of house. When auditing your home, keep a
checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you found to help
prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades.

Air Leaks

First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy
savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year,
and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. Check for
indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the
flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air
can flow through these places:

Electrical outlets

Switch plates

Window frames

Baseboards

Weather stripping around doors

Fireplace dampers

Attic hatches

Wall- or window-mounted air conditioners.

Also look for gaps around pipes and wires, electrical outlets,
foundation seals and mail slots. Check to see if the caulking and weather
stripping are applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks and are in good
condition.

Inspect windows and doors for air leaks. See if you can rattle them,
since movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a
door or window frame, then the door or window leaks. You can usually seal
these leaks by caulking or weather stripping them. Check the storm
windows to see if they fit and are not broken. You may also wish to
consider replacing your old windows and doors with newer,
high-performance ones. If new factory-made doors or windows are too
costly, you can install low-cost plastic insulation sheets over the
windows.

If you are having difficulty locating leaks, you may want to conduct a
basic building pressurization test:

First, close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues.

Turn off all combustion appliances such as gas burning furnaces and
water heaters.

Then turn on all exhaust fans (generally located in the kitchen and
bathrooms) or use a large window fan to suck the air out of the rooms.

This test increases infiltration through cracks and leaks, making them
easier to detect. You can use incense sticks or your damp hand to locate
these leaks. If you use incense sticks, moving air will cause the smoke
to waver and if you use your damp hand, any drafts will feel cool to your
hand.

On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different
building materials meet, including:

All exterior corners

Where siding and chimneys meet

Areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding
meet.

You should plug and caulk holes or penetrations for faucets, pipes,
electric outlets and wiring. Look for cracks and holes in the mortar,
foundation, and siding, and seal them with the appropriate material.
Check the exterior caulking around doors and windows and see whether
exterior storm doors and primary doors seal tightly.

When sealing any home, you must always be aware of the danger of indoor
air pollution and combustion appliance "backdrafts." Backdrafting
is when the various combustion appliances and exhaust fans in the home
compete for air. An exhaust fan may pull the combustion gases back into
the living space. This can obviously create a very dangerous and
unhealthy situation in the home.

In homes where a fuel is burned (i.e., natural gas, fuel oil, propane,
or wood) for heating, be certain the appliance has an adequate air
supply. Generally, one square inch of vent opening is required for each
1,000 BTU of appliance input heat. When in doubt, contact your local
utility company, energy professional or ventilation contractor.

Insulation

Heat loss through the ceiling and walls in your home could be very large
if the insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum. When your
house was built the builder likely installed the amount of insulation
recommended at that time. Given today's energy prices (and future prices
that will probably be higher) the level of insulation might be
inadequate, especially if you have an older home.

If the attic hatch is located above a conditioned space check to see if
it is at least as heavily insulated as the attic, is weather stripped and
closes tightly. In the attic, determine whether openings for items such
as pipes, ductwork, and chimneys are sealed. Seal any gaps with an
expanding foam caulk or some other permanent sealant.

Heating/Cooling Equipment

Inspect heating and cooling equipment annually, or as recommended by the
manufacturer. If you have a forced-air furnace, check your filters and
replace them as needed. Generally, you should change them about once
every month or two, especially during periods of high usage. Have a
professional check and clean your equipment once a year.

If the unit is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing
your system with one of the newer, energy-efficient units. A new unit
would greatly reduce your energy consumption, especially if the existing
equipment is in poor condition. Check your ductwork for dirt streaks,
especially near seams. These indicate air leaks, and they should be
sealed with a duct mastic. Insulate any ducts or pipes that travel
through unheated spaces.

Lighting

Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill.
Examine the wattage size of the light bulbs in your house. You may have
100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60- or 75-watts would do. You should
also consider compact fluorescent lamps for areas where lights are on for
hours at a time. Your electric utility may offer
rebates or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lamps.